Do you have trouble spending less than you actually earn? Are you saving or investing you money? If not, you’re not alone: a recent study found that nearly half of Americans spend all of the income they generate.

The same study revealed that only a little over a quarter of Americans are considered “financially healthy.”

Aside from trusted sources, searching for money advice online can be challenging. Why? Because there’s so much of it, and you can easily become paralized by the sheer quantity of search results.

Here are two tips to help you cut through the noise to find what you really need to make a difference in your life when looking for answers online.

Identify Your Biggest Money Problems

Do you struggle with budgeting? If so, focus specifically on tools and apps that can help you solve that problem.

Are you struggling with too much debt? Search for specific content, courses, and guides to help you climb out of the hole.

Make A Plan

Look for online tools to help you set a goal and track your progress. Trying to pay off credit card debt? A free printable or spreadsheet can help you to stay motivated as you watch those weekly and monthly baby steps add up.

Remember to also be careful where you get free financial advice online. When you follow bad advice about money, it can be especially dangerous. Instead of solving your problems, it could do the opposite—make your situation worse.

Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS)

Instead of looking online, do you want to sit down with a real person to go over your individual money situation?

If so, a non-profit consumer credit counseling service (CCCS) might be a good fit. Some of these companies offer (limited) free credit counseling services.

In general, a non-profit CCCS can help with:

Credit Advice

Budgeting

Educational Materials

Financial Workshops

Debt Management Plans

To get started, you can schedule an initial counseling session, in person or over the phone. The session usually lasts around 30 minutes to 1 hour.

For many companies, the cost for this meeting is $0—hence the name free credit counseling. But some do charge a fee; so be sure to ask up front.

Once you schedule an appointment, it’s important that you do your homework. You’ll need to prepare the information your counselor will need to review during your session. This may include:

There May Be a Cost

Yet typically all of the services offered by a CCCS aren’t free. In general, debt management plans (DMPs), for which these companies are well known, have a cost.

Money Management International, for example, is accredited by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC). The company charges both a set-up fee and a monthly fee for debt management services. Fees are calculated by your counselor during your session.

You should also use caution when choosing a credit counselor. If you talk to a counselor who immediately tries to push you toward a DMP without taking the time to review your financial situation, beware.

Debt management plans can be helpful for certain people, but a counselor should take the time to get familiar with your overall financial picture before recommending a DMP, or any other service with a fee attached to it.

Choosing the Right Credit Counseling Service

Think credit counseling may be right for you (either free credit counseling or fee-based services)? If so, it’s important to make sure you choose a reputable CCCS to represent you.

In this interview, you'll go on the financial independence journeys of Cody Berman & Justin Taylor. You'll discover how to leverage savings, make more active income, and invest to make your lifestyle a whole lot easier. If you're looking to achieve financial freedom, this is a conversation you can't afford to miss!

Dustin sits with Best Selling Author and Certified Retirement Planner, Casey Weade. Detailing the spectrum of Retirement, Casey dives into how to set effective financial goals, the rule of 100, and how to retire with purpose.

Imagine retiring in your 30's and traveling the world on permanent vacation. Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung live this lifestyle and sit down with Dustin to explain how you can do the same. By going against the norm, investing their money, and quitting their jobs, tune in as they share helpful tips from their new book, Quit Like a Millionaire.

Dustin sits down with Military Money Expert, Lacey Langford, as she drills the importance of getting your personal finances up to military standards, without all of the yelling. An Army brat, financial expert, military wife, and veteran all rolled into one, Lacey is on a mission to help combat the fear around money.